The Hedinn Protein Plant (HPP) fish meal production system is one of the most modern of its type and is used on a factory trawler in the German deep-sea fishing fleet. Drive solutions from Nord Drivesystems provide ultimate levels of operational reliability and keep the machines running 24/7.
Deep-sea fishing is usually associated with the long voyages that the trawlers have to endure. It often takes up to five days before they reach the fishing grounds. It may be four weeks before the ships return to port. Reliable technology, which ensures smooth operation is essential.
These days, trawlers are usually equipped with the latest technology and thanks to their "wave-piercing" design, they are often much more efficient and environmentally friendly than older ships. Some are even equipped with a fully automated fish factory, processing the fish as well as directly filleting and packaging the final produce ready for the end consumer. All stages of the work – gutting, cutting, packaging and deep freezing – are carried out at sea. One of these factory trawlers has the innovative Hedinn Protein Plant (HPP) fish meal production system on board from the Icelandic plant manufacturer Hedinn.
Innovative technology
Hedinn was founded in 1922 in Reykjavik and specialises in plant and machinery construction. Traditionally, the company has close ties with the Icelandic fishing industry, but also provides solutions for many other sectors of industry. The company has a strong focus on research and development. In addition, Hedinn is a sales and service provider for the marine division of Rolls-Royce in Iceland.
Hedinn is an important partner in the modernisation of conventional fish meal and fish oil production companies in Iceland. With the pioneering HPP the company has raised the industry to a new level. Because of its special design, the HPP is greatly superior to conventional plants with regard to economy and efficiency. It simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces energy and water consumption, and thanks to its compact design requires only a small amount of space. In addition, the fully automated Hedinn machines enable low temperature operation as well as processing of the entire raw material including the offal. Because of these properties, the HPP is in great demand both on land and at sea.
On the high seas
At present, four HPPs are in operation at sea. One of the two fishing trawlers is equipped with a HPP-2000 Marine plant which operates 24/7 and processes up to 50 tons of raw material every day. In total, during a voyage, up to 1,000 tons of fish are caught. Some of the process stages require the use of screw conveyors, driers and pumps. These are driven by bevel gear and parallel geared motors from Nord Drivesystems. Einar Már Adalsteinsson from Hedinn explains the reason for choosing the drive specialist from Bargteheide: "During the long weeks at sea, it is important to have a functioning system on board. Interruptions to production must be avoided. However, if there is a problem, spare parts must be quickly available and a global customer service must be ensured. Nord Drivesystems is present throughout the world – and is therefore always close to the ship, wherever it may be. A special 24-hour service network also ensures that even a completely assembled geared motor is available as a replacement within a very short time."
Worldwide network
Nord Drivesystems is a complete supplier of electrical, mechanical and electronic drive technology and has subsidiaries in 36 countries, as well as further sales partners in 61 countries.This closely meshed sales and service network ensures optimum availability for short delivery times and customer-oriented services. As a system supplier, the company supplies optimally matched drive system consisting of the gear unit, motor and frequency inverter. The drive solutions are powerful, reliable, robust and compact. Furthermore, they are highly efficient, have excellent operational reliability and a long life. Simple operation, installation and maintenance also makes them very user-friendly. Because of this, Norddrive units are ideal for use at sea.
Two other aspects were very important for Hedinn: energy efficiency and hygiene. "The entire construction of the HPP is designed for ultimate efficiency and low energy consumption. For example, the drying air is recycled and re-used," explains Adalsteinsson. The drive units are no exception. The bevel gear and parallel geared motors from Nord operate extremely efficiently and considerably reduce energy consumption and therefore operating costs thanks to their high efficiency.
The fish meal production plant has to be cleaned at regular intervals. For this, a fine water mist is sprayed into the plant room. Of course, this increases the humidity to very high values – not exactly favourable conditions for the drive units. IP66 protection class, condensation holes, special coatings, stainless steel shafts, washdown design and smooth motors are just some of the options which increase the service life of the gear units and facilitate the cleaning process. In combination with food-compatible oil and special FDA-compliant surface treatments, fish processing can meet the stringent requirements for food processing.
From landlubber to mariner
Before going to sea, Hedinn had already gained experience on land with drive solutions from Nord "These were so positive that we decided to also use Nord drive technology for our offshore projects" says Adalsteinsson. In the meantime, the geared motors have successfully demonstrated their seaworthiness. The HPP has been in successful operation on land for many years. It went to sea for the first time in July 2017 on the trawler Sólberg. At present a second ship has an HPP on board and further ships are under construction or are planned. Thanks to their high operational reliability, dependability, availability and energy efficiency, geared motors from Nord Drivesystems are also on board.
